Pelusi Aiming to Make Noise at NCAAs

LANCASTER, Pa. – Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio is set to serve as the host for this week's Division I NCAA Wrestling Tournament, where 330 of the nation's top wrestlers will convene for a shot at All-America and National Championship accolades.

One of those elite grapplers is Franklin & Marshall's very own, Antonio Pelusi, who qualified in the 285-pound bracket for the second time in his career.

Pelusi Interview:Antonio Pelusi joins GoDiplomats.com to talk about how his expectations have shifted heading into his second-career NCAA Tournament. To watch, click here.

A Look at Pelusi's Bracket: Pelusi, who also qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 2016, begins his run against the bracket's No. 5 seeded Samuel Stoll from Iowa. Stoll enters with a 19-4 record after placing fourth at the Big 10 Championships, falling to Penn State's Nevills in the third-place match. Pelusi has never faced Stoll.

Two-time NCAA Champion Kyle Snyder of Ohio State headlines the bracket as the No. 1 seed, while Michigan's Adam Coon, who delivered Snyder his only loss this season, enters as the No. 2 seed.

How Pelusi Got Here: Pelusi went 4-2 at the EIWA Championships, securing fifth place and snagging one of the 285-pound bracket's five automatic qualifying spots. The Diplomats' heavyweight upset No. 26 Brett Dempsey of American by a thrilling 2-1 TB2 score in the fifth-place match.

Rare Air: Pelusi became just the 22nd wrestler in F&M program history to qualify for multiple NCAA Tournaments and only the second heavyweight, joining Richard Vaughn (1939 and 1940).

In the Rankings: Thanks to his fifth-place showing at the 2018 EIWA Tournament, Antonio Pelusi (285 pounds) moved up to No. 30 in the fourth and final coaches' panel rankings for the 2017-18 wrestling season. To view the complete rankings, click here.

Wasting No Time: Pelusi landed his signature leg sweep and followed with a pin just 11 seconds into a dual match against Sacred Heart on Feb. 18th. Video of Pelusi's lightening-quick match was shared through the official NCAA Wrestling Twitter page and viewed nearly 10,000 times. To watch, click here.

Lehman Enters the Hall: Former Franklin & Marshall grappler David H. Lehman '68 was announced for induction into the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a recipient of the "Outstanding American" Award – reserved for individuals who were wrestlers but also achieved excellence in another walk of life.

Lehman will officially be inducted into the chapter during a "Hall of Fame Day" celebration at the Hershey Lodge on Sunday, April 29, 2018.

Tickets for the banquet, which begins with a social at 12:00 p.m., cost $55 per person and can be purchased online by clicking here.

Faller Gets the Nod: Mark Faller, who coached F&M's wrestling team to 125 wins from 1981-93, was announced as an inductee into The National Wrestling Hall of Fame of the Upstate New York State Chapter as a member of the 2018 class.

Wins Leaders:Antonio Pelusi leads the Diplomats with a 24-8 record, including a 10-2 mark in duals.

Freshman Brett Kulp (141 pounds) finished his year 19-14 with a 9-6 dual-meet record while classmate Wil Gil (141/149 pounds) collected an 18-17 record, and registered a team-leading five pins. Josh Young concluded his senior year at 16-14.

Anthony Mancini garnered a 23-12 record this season, competing unattached at 184 pounds, while Paddy Quinlan, who also competed unattached, accumulated a 21-10 mark.